At the time when a professional discussion on the rate of poverty in Tunisia is still ongoing, the INS (Institute of Statistics) has just finished the latest census of the population (May 2010).
Very important data came out of it, including those relating particularly to the quality of life of Tunisian citizens.
This level is particularly measured through the level of utilities owned by Tunisian family. These utilities, indicators of quality of life of the citizen and the family in Tunisia, for example, are the private car, mobile phone or the Internet.
It is, thus, clear from the latest survey by the INS, of which we received a copy, that the rate of possession of these devices by Tunisians increased between 2009 and 2010 and even during the last five years 2005-2010.
Tunisians are rather well equipped
One of the largest utilities in life for providing comfort in moving and especially a greater freedom of movement, up to becoming an outward sign of wealth and an indicator of given social status is the car. The rate of possession of cars by Tunisians has increased by more than 2 points between 2005 and 2010, although stagnant since 2007 in 20%.A utility that is essential in every Tunisian household now, the television is now owned by almost two million five hundred thousand families with a rate of possession, in crescendo since 2005, reaching 97.2% of families visited by the teams of the INS.
| Index of living standards of Tunisians 2005-2010 (Source: INS) |
|||||||
| Ownership rate in% | |||||||
| 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | Number of families | |
| At least one car | 20.2 | 20.1 | 20 | 21.3 | 22.7 | 22.6 | 573 ,800 |
| TV | 92.4 | 92.7 | 94.4 | 95.4 | 96.7 | 97.2 | 2 ,464 .300 |
| Dish | 55.4 | 60.6 | 68.6 | 75,4 | 83.5 | 87.5 | 2,217.700 |
| Air conditioner | 7 | 7.9 | 9.4 | 11.8 | 13 | 14.2 | 360,400 |
| Refrigerator | 84.5 | 85.9 | 88.5 | 90.6 | 93 | 94 | 2 ,383.800 |
| Cooker | 58 | 58 | 61.5 | 64 | 68.8 | 73 | 1 ,850.300 |
| Washing machine | 37.9 | 41.9 | 45.4 | 51.6 | 56.8 | 62.1 | 1,574.300 |
| Fixed phone | 34.4 | 32.1 | 30.1 | 27.4 | 26.1 | 26.1 | 660,800 |
| At least 1 GSM | 62.9 | 73 | 79.8 | 85.2 | 89.2 | 91.6 | 2,323.600 |
| PC | 7.2 | 7.9 | 9.6 | 11.8 | 14.4 | 16.4 | 415,200 |
| Internet | 8.2 | 9.6 | 10.1 | 11.5 | 14.6 | 17.6 | 445,400 |
However, it should, above all, be noted that the level of equipment of Tunisian families in ICT utilities is still low and barely covers a third of the families visited. Utilities such as PC or the Internet remain a luxury in Tunisia in May 2010.
Tunisians talk much and surf little
While Tunisians turn out to be consumers without moderation of mobile telephony, with a rate of ownership of at least one GSM per family or almost 92%, they almost seem to have relegated the fixed phone to the past.
The equipment rate of the Tunisian family has not actually stopped falling since 2005 when it was barely 34%. In May 2010, it had dropped to 26%. This tool, namely the fixed phone, is still de facto monopoly of Tunisian operator “Tunisie Telecom” and the latter is somewhat neglecting it in its development strategies. It is time to liberalize it, to better equip the Tunisian family.
Two more figures still need to be noted and they reveal that Tunisia is still “underdeveloped” technologically. The first is the rate of penetration of IT in Tunisia which is only 16.4% in 2010; although it has more than doubled since 2007 (7.2% of families have a PC).
The second figure is the rate of Internet penetration in Tunisia, estimated at 17.6% by the INS in 2010. Less than a tenth of the Tunisian population (445,400 Tunisian families in 2010) has an Internet connection.
Both figures set the tone of what public service is still waiting from the new technologies and gives an idea of the extent of the market to conquer for various local operators, both vendors of hard and Internet service providers for Post-Ben Ali Tunisia or Tunisia of the Revolution.
